The Henson Journals

[118]

Saturday, December 30th, 1916.

880th day

Linetta went off by the early train. I wrote letters to Carissima and Norman Henderson before breakfast. Then I attended Mattins. The devil entering into me, I wrote a letter to the "Times" headed "Festina lente" [make haste slowly], commenting on the proposal to use the income of the Dean of Exeter to provide the income for a Bishop of Plymouth. Probably the Editor will not print it. Also I wrote to Arthur. I attended Evensong: and wrote to Beeching.

The Bishop of Durham failed to arrive as he had arranged, for the motor car which he had hired in Newcastle broke down in the market–place of Durham, when on the way out to Bishop Auckland. Bishop Quirk volunteered to send his car to fetch the Diocesan tomorrow morning. Dennett dined with us. I had some talk with him on church matters.

I have preached 18 sermons in the Cathedral during the year, 14 in the parish churches of the Diocese (besides some on week–days), and 15 away from the Diocese, making a total of 47.

The only places of exceptional interest preached in were:–

S. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh

Windsor Castle.

Glasgow Cathedral.

Manchester Cathedral.

S. Margaret's, Westminster

Westminster Abbey.

I have not included the preaching to the troops at the Church Parades during the first 3 months of the year: nor yet the S. George's Day Sermon in the Nave of S. George's, Windsor, on the Wednesday after Easter, April 26th.

[116]

"A great man of antiquity (i.e. Cato) is reported to have said, that as he never was indulgent to any one fault in himself, he cd not excuse those of others. This sentence cd scarce with decency come out of the mouth of any human creature. But if we invert the former part, & put it thus: that he was indulgent to many faults in himself, as it is to be feared the best of us are, & yet was implacable: how monstrous wd such an assertion appear! And this is the case in respect to every human creature, in proportion as he is without the forgiving spirit."

Bishop Butler.

---